Automatic hair-cutting machine



S. M. COFFMAN. AUTQMATIC HAIR CUTTING MACHNE.

APPLICATION FILED Ams. IaIs.

1,359,031 Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

WITNESS.- 2g INI/ENTQR.' Y

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ATTORNEY.

s. M. COFFMAN.

AuToMAncyHAm cumm; MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 3, i918.

Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

IN VEN TOR.'

WI TN ESS i5 plate provided at its rear corners SAMUEL M. COFFMAN, OFKANSAS CITY,

MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO THE BARBERS ELECTRIC SPECIALTY COMPANY, ACORPORATION OF KANSAS.

AUTOMATIC HAIR-CUTTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

App1cationli1ed April 3, 1918. Serial No. 226,377.

To all whom t may concern:

e it known that I, SAMUEL M. COFFMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AutomaticHair-Cutting Machines, cf which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to hair cutting' machines, and one object is toprovide a new and useful. power driven device of this character whichwill enable barbers to cut hair more expeditiously and with lessfatigue' than is possible with the handactuated cutters nowV in generaluse.

A further object is to provide a device of this character in which thecutter blades are capable of moving pivotally independently of thehandle of the device, to the end that said blades can be readilyadjusted to different angles and thus relieve the operator of thenecessity of twisting his hand or wrist in uncomfortable positions whilecutting hair with the device.

Another object is to provide a hair cutting machine which can be usedequally :as well with the right or left hand.

Other objects of the invention will hereinafter appear, and in orderthat said invention may be fully understood, reference will now be madeto the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device.

ig. 2 is a plan view of the device.

Fig. 3 is an irregular vertical section on line III-III of Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on line IV-IV of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a vertical of Fig. l.

Fig. 6 is a cross section on line V I V I of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is an irregular section on line VII- VII of Figi 4. Y

In carrying out the invention, I employ a main member provided at itsforward end with a head 3, and having a rearwardlyextending, tubularportion 5 provided with a handle 6, removably-held in place by a setscrew 8.

The lower portion, of the head 3 terminates in a yoke 10 to which ablade holder 12 is operably connected by pivots 13. Said blade holder 12consists of a rectangulalr witi section on line V-V nut 27 and the bladeholder 12 thumb seats 15, whereby it may be rocked on the pivots 13against the action of a retractile spring 16, which normally holds theplate against the lower end of a set screw 18 threaded through one ofthe arms of the yoke 10. The spring 16 is attached at its upper end tothe set screw 18, and at its lower end to the blade holder 12 throughthe intermediacy of a screw 20.

The blade holder 12 is provided at its under forward side with a pair ofoppositely-disposed dowel pins 22, which extend downwardly through theupper and lower cutter blades 23 and 24, respectively, and coact with ascrew 26 and a thumb nut 27 in securing said cutter blades to the bladeholder 12. The dowel pins 22 extend through slots 29 in the upperreciprocatory blade 23 and through a snugly fitting hole 30 in the lowerstationary blade 24.

The screw 26 has an angular head 32 countersunk in the central portionof the stationary blade 24, to keep from rotating in said blade when thethumb nut 27 is rotated. A spring washer 34 fitting over the screw 26,is interposed between the thumb to prevent said nut from becoming looseaccidentally when tightened'to firmly hold the rear end of thestationary blade 24 firmly in engagement with a lug 35 at the rearcentral portion of the blade holder 12.

Reciprocatory motion is imparted to the upper blade 23 by a pitman 37,the lower end of which extends through a slot 39 in the blade holder 12,and an opening 40 in the reciprocatory blade 23. As disclosed by Fig. 4,the front and rear walls of the slot 39 are beveled downwardlyandbackwardly to permit said blade holder 12 to be tipped to the dottedposition without interfering with the oscillatory motion of the pitman37.

The pitman 37 is provided at its upper end with a rearwardly-extendingspindle 42, rockably-mounted in an eccentric bearing 44 adjustablymounted in the upper end of the head 3 to adjust the pitman laterallyfor the purpose of bringing the reciprocatory blade 23 into properrelation with the stationary blade 24. After the eccentric bearing 44has been adjusted axially in the head 3 to eifect lateral adjustment ofthe pitman 37, said bearing is firmly locked in position by a set screw45, threaded in the top of the head 3 and extending into an annulargroove 47 in the forward portion of the eccentric bearing 44. The pitmanspindle 42 is operably-retained in the eccentric bearing 44 by aretaining screw 49 threaded into the rear portion of said eccentricbearing 44 and projecting into a peripheral groove 50 in the spindle 42.

Oscillatory motion is imparted to the pitman 37 by a drive shaft 52having an eccentric forward end 54 upon which an antifriction roller 55is mounted. Said antifriction roller 55 fits within an elongated cavity57 in the rear side of the pitman 37 and alternately engages oppositesides of said cavity 57 to actuate the pitman when the drive shaft 52 isin operation.

The rear end of the drive shaft 52 is provided with a fiXedly-inountedworm wheel 58 driven by a worm 59. The worm gears 58 and 59 are arrangedin a housing 61, containing a lubricant chamber `62 to hold a suitablelubricant for saidy worm gears and their bearings. The housing 61 isprovided at its forward side with a tubular member 64, which inconnection with the forward portion of the main member 1, constitutesbearings for the drive shaft 52. The tubular member 64 snugly litswithin the tubular portion 5 of the main member 1, but is capable ofrotating therein to allow free 9peration of the worm gears 58, 59 and aflexible drive shaft 87 irrespective of any axial motion which may beimparted to the main member 1 and-the parts carried thereb yA peripheralgroove 65 is formed at the inner end of the tubular member 64 to receivethe set screw 8, whereby said tubular member 64 is operably retainedwithin the tubular portion 5.

Access is had to the interior of the housing 61 through an opening inthe rear side thereof, which is normally closed by a plate 66removably-held in position by screws 67. Said plate 66 also serves as athrust-,bearing for the rear end disclosed more clearly by Fig. 4. lnaddition to the tubular member 64, the housing 61 has a tubularextension 70, projecting at right angles to the tubular member 64 and f72 for the tubular provided` with a bearing 59, which 1s projournal v73of the worm vided at its opposite end with a journal 74 mounted in abushing 75 held in one end of the tubular member by a set screw 78,fitting within a peripheral groove 79 in said bushing. Longitudinalmovement of the wom 59 is overcome by thrust-collars 81 yand 82 abuttingthe adjacent ends of the bea-ing 72 and the bushing 75, respectively.

The tubular journal 73 has a longitudinal slot 84. to receive a feather86 on the end of the shift 87, which is pointed to readily enter saidtubular `journal 73, to drive the same. Entrance of the end of the shaft87 of the drive shaft 52, as

is further facilitated by the bearing 72, one end of which extendsbeyond the end of the journal 73 and is rounded to guide the end of theshaft 87 into said journal 73.

The shaft 87 is ilerrible throughout the greater portion of its lengthand adapted to be driven by an electric or other motor, not shown. ltextends through a flexible housing 90 provided at one end with a sleeve91, having a spring 92 secured thereto and provided with a shoulder 93to enter a groove 94 in the extension 70 and hold the end of the shaft87 in the journal 73. On depressing the curved portion 96 of said spring92, the shoulder 93 is disengaged from the walls of the groove 94,whereupon the shaft 87 can be disconnected from the journal 73.

ln practice the blade holder 12 is set at the proper angle relative tothe handle 6, through the intermediary of the set screw 18. Furtheradjustment is then readily had as needed by pressing down upon one ofthe thumb pieces 15, which may be accomplished without relinquishing thegrasp upon the handle 6. As the worm 59 is driven it drives the wormwheel 58 which rotates the drive shaft 52 and causes it, through theintermediacy of its eccentric terminal 54 and the antifriction roller55, to operate the pitman 37, which in turn oscillates the upper plade23.

he stroke of the pitman 37 is sullcient to cause the cutting edges ofthe blade 23 to pass back and forth over the cutting edges of thestationary blade 24, but should the bla-des wear or get out ofadjustment with each other and prevent the cutting edges of the blade 23from crossing the cutting edges of the bla-de 24 in both directions, theupper blade 23 can be adjusted longitudinally into proper relation withthe'lower blade 24 through the intermediacy of the eccentric bearing 44,which may be rotated after loosening the set screw 45 to shift thepitman 37 laterally until the blades are in proper relation with eachother as above specified. rlhus proper cutting of the hair withoutpulling is insured, Y

From the foregoing description, vit is apparent that l have produced ahair cutting machine in which all parts are readily ac- Y cessible andcan be either quickly assembled or talren apart should repairs orreplacements so require, and while lhave shown and described thepreferred form of my invention, reserve the right to maire such changesin the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts as properlyfall within the spirit and scope of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what l claimV and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is:

V1. In a device of the character described,

a main member, a blade holderoperably se- Y cured to said main holderand capable of I adjustment to different inclinations while the deviceis in operation, a relatively stationary blade carried by said bladeholder, a movable blade to coact with said stationary blade, and meansfor actuating said movable blade.

2. In a device of the character described, a main member, a handletherefor, a blade holder pivotally secured to said main member andcapable of adjustment to different inclinations while the device is inoperation, a relatively stationary blade carried by said blade holder, areciprocatory blade mounted upon said stationary blade, and means foractuating' said reciprocatory blade.

In a device of the character described, a main member, a blade holderpivotally secured to said main member and capable of adjustment todifferent inclinations while the device is in operation, means tending`to l restore said blade holder to a given position,

a relatively stationary blade carried by said blade holder, a movableblade to coact with said stationary blade, and a pitman for operatingsaid movable blade.

4;. In a device of the character described, a main member, a rockableblade holder secured to said main member, a relatively stationary bladecarried by said blade holder, a reciproca-tory blade to coact with saidstationary blade, and a thumb piece on the blade holder to rock thesame.

5. In a device of the character described, a main member, a handletherefor, a blade holder rockably secured to said main member, arelatively stationary blade carried by said blade holder, a movablebla-de to coact with said stationary blade, a pitman for reciprocatingsaid movable blade, a drive shaft having' an eccentric terminal toactuate said pitman, and an antifriction roller mounted upon saideccentric terminal.

6. In a device of the character described, a main member, a blade holderoperably secured to said main member and provided near its forward sidewith depending pins and near its rear side with a depending lug, arelatively stationary blade bearing against the underside of said lugand provided with openings to receive said pins, a bolt extendingthrough said stationary blade and the blade holder to secure themtogether, and a reciprocatory blade mounted between the stationary bladeand the blade holder and provided with slots for the passage of the de)ending pins.

In a device of the character described, a main member, a handletherefor, a blade holder pivotally secured to said main member andhaving an oblique opening extending therethrough, a relativelystationary blade secured to said blade holder, a reciprocatory blademounted between said stationary blade and the blade holder, and a pitmanextending through the oblique opening in the blade holder and engagingthe reciprocatory blade to actuate the same.

8. In a device of the character described, a main member having adepending yoke at its forward end, a blade holder rockably mounted insaid yoke, a relatively stationary blade secured to said blade holder, areciprocatory blade to coact with the stationary blade, means to limitthe rockable movement of the blade holder and a resilient member tonormally retain the blade holder against said means. 1

9. In a device of the character described, a main member, a blade holderrockably mounted on said main member, a set screw in the main member tolimit the rockable movement of said blade holder, a spring 'to normallyretain the blade holder against said set screw, and cutting bladesrockably controlled by the blade holder.

10. In a device of the character described, rockable cutting blades, ahandle, means for rocking said blades while the device is in operation,and mechanism operably-connecting said cutting blades and the handle.

11. In a device of the character described, a relatively stationaryblade, a reciprocatory blade, a pitman for actuating said reciprocatoryblade, and an adjustable support for said pitman whereby the same can bemoved laterally t0 adjust the reciprocatory blade longitudinally of thestationary blade.

12. In a device of the character described, a relatively stationaryblade, a reciprocatory blade, a pitman for actuating said reciprocatoryblade, and eccentric means whereby said pitman can be adjustedlaterally, to adjust the reciprocatory blade into proper relation withthe stationary blade.

13. In a device of the character described, a relatively stationaryblade, a reciprocatory blade, a pitman for actuating said reciprocatoryblade,\a spindle projecting from said pitman, and an eccentric bearingadapted to adjust the spindle laterally to cause the pitman to adjustthe reciprocatory blade into proper relation with the stationary blade.

14. In a device of the character described, a relatively stationaryblade, a reciprocatory blade, a pitman for actuating said reciprocatoryblade, a spindle projecting from said pitman, an eccentric bearingadapted to adjust the spindle laterally to cause the pitman to adjustthe reciprocatory blade into proper relation with the stationary blade,a support for said bearing, and means for securing said bearing afteradjusting the spindle.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

SAMUEL M. COFFMAN.

Witnesses:

F. G. FISCHER, L. J. FISCHER.

